Please help me welcome Judy Dearing, a Christian therapist and author of Chrissy’s Moments.Thank you, Judy, for being a guest on my blog.You’re welcome. I’m glad to be here.

Tell our readers a little about your professional life as a therapist.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and manage my own private practice. I see individuals who struggle with anxiety, panic attacks, and obsessive-compulsive challenges. I specialize in those areas. As a Christian therapist, I’m honored to assist people, to help them learn how to cope with the stress in their lives, and I am blessed with the relationships that develop from that. And, having my own practice allows great flexibility with my schedule!

And tell us some things about your personal life.

I was raised in Kentucky bluegrass country. I moved to western NC in 2001 where I live with my husband of 41 years and our Miniature Schnauzer, Shack. I seem to be at a stage in my life where I'm reinventing myself.

I love cooking for family and friends. I’m a baker wanna-be, and a hiker wanna-be, though I have a love-hate relationship with hiking. I love spending time with my hiking friends, but I’m not fond of the woods and ticks.

How and when did you begin to write?

In the fourth grade we were given an assignment to write an essay on conservation. To this day, I remember my teacher’s encouraging words.

Other encouragment came from Mary DeMuth, author of “Thin Places.” I sent an email to say how much I liked her book and writing style. She wrote back, and in conversation I asked some questions - her words were, “it's because you're a writer. So write and get into a writer's group.” Years later, I’m in a group with four published authors, my W.O.W. (Weavers Of Words) sisters.

Can you describe Chrissy’s Moments for us?

Chrissy’s Moments is about my mother who suffered with Alzheimer’s disease. While doom and gloom and chaos were ever-present, there were also times that were light and funny. So I began blogging about only those times. Doing so helped remind me that she lived in a different world. My blog became a book.“

What are you working on now?

Currently I’m writing about a friend’s experience on adopting their child through an international maze.

What advice can you give to beginning writers?

The same that was given to me: Write and join a writer’s group.

What is your favorite reading genre?

I’m hesitant to say I have a favorite genre. I love a book that draws me on an emotional level and written with phrases that give me pause —that I can later reread or ponder.

Two books have stayed with me through the years. Both of them have inspired and challenged my faith:

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas

Tell our readers something that they may not know about you.

For ten years or so scuba diving was a hobby of mine. My deepest depth was 65 feet.

Chrissy’s Moments can be purchased on Amazon. Feel free to email me at jdearing7@gmail.com with any thoughts or questions.